MILITARY: Civil War Rosters, Clinton County Iowa
CIVIL WAR BOOK #2
MILITARY: Civil War Rosters, Clinton County Iowa
We would like to thank the Clinton County Historical Society for the use of their
library and material.
Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion Together with
Historical Sketches of Volunteer Organizations 1861-1866:
Vol. 2
9th- Regiments-Infantry.
Published by authority of the General Assembly, under the direction of Brig. Gen. Wm.
H. Thrift, Adjutant General. Des Moines; Emory H. English, State Printer, E. D. Chassell,
State Binder; 1908
HISTORICAL SKETCH
FIFTEENTH REGIMENT IOWA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
The organization of the Fifteenth Regiment of Iowa Volunteer Infantry began prior to
Sept. 5, 1861, but the precise date is not revealed in the report of the Adjutant General of
the State. His report for the year 1862, however (Vol. 1, Page 547), shows that company B of
this regiment was ordered into quarters Sept. 5, 1861, and the entire ten companies of which
the regiment was composed were ordered into quarters by Governor Kirkwood on dates ranging from
Sept 5, 1861, to Feb. 13, 1862. Keokuk, Iowa, was the place designated for the rendezvous of
the regiment and, at that place, the ten companies were mustered into the service of the United
States, on dates ranging from Nov. 1, 1861 , to Feb. 22, 1862, by Capt. charles C. Smith and
Lieut. C. J. Ball, united States Army. the aggregate strength of the regiment at must in was
1,127, rank and file.
The compiler of this historical sketch has adhered to the official reports and returns
found in the War of the Rebellion Official Records, published by authority of the Secretary of
War, and the official data contained in the military archives of the State of Iowa, covering
the period embraced in the service of each officer and enlisted man in the subjoined roster has
also been obtained from the official sources above indicated, supplemented by such information
as could be procured from the War Department in Washington and other reliable sources. Some
of these records will be found to be incomplete and, no doubt, some are incorrect. This is of
course much to be regretted, but every effort has been made to prevent errors and omissions.
the reader is referred to the introductory article to this volume, which shows some of the
difficulties encountered in obtaining the fact with reference to these individual records.
Suffice it to say that as much care has been exercised to secure a correct record for the
enlisted man as for that of the officer. The compiler also wishes it understood that only the
outlines of history of the long and faithful service of the regiment could be given within the
limitations perscribed by the act of the General Assembly of the State of Iowa which authorized
the publication of this work.
The short time the regiment remained in rendezvous at Keokuk was utilized to the best
advantage by the officers and men, in drilling as best they could without muskets, going
through some of the simpler movements of company and battalion drill and applying themselves to
the study of tactics and army regulations. Among the officers, Adjutant George Pomutz and
Major William W. Belknap had the advantage of having received some military training, but the
large majority of both officers and enlisted men were utterly without experience and had to
acquire, in the brief time which elapsed before they were called upon to face the enemy in the
field, such knowledge of their duties as soldiers as would enable them to acquit themselves
with credit and honor to the State that sent them to the front to re-inforce their comrades,
who gad already met the enemy in several hard fought battles. In this state if unpreparedness
the regiment left Keokuk on the 19th day of March, 1862, and was conveyed by steamboat to St.
Louis and, upon its arrival there, marched to Benton barracks, where troops were being
concentrated, and given such instruction as was possible before proceeding to join the Army of
the Tennessee, then encamped at Pittsburg Landing. At Benton Barracks the regiment received
the arms, accoutrements and general equipment.
On the morning of April 1, 1862, the regiment marched to St. Louis, where it embarked,
with orders to report to General Grant at Savannah, Tenn. Arriving, the night before the
commencement of the battle of Shiloh, Col. Hugh T. Reid, commanding the regiment, was ordered
to proceed to Pittsburg Landing, and there disembark his command and report to General
Prentiss. the regiment arrived at Pittsburg Landing on the morning of April 6, 1862. In his
official report Colonel Reid states that, upon reaching Pittsburg Landing, he proceeded at once
to report to General Prentiss, and found that officer and the division under his command
already under the fire of the enemy. Colonel Reid was ordered to bring his regiment forward as
soon as possible. He at once rode back to the landing and ordered his regiment to disembark
quickly. As fast as the men reached the shre they formed in line of battle, ammunition was
distributed, and guns were loaded for the first time since the men had received them. At this
time an order was given by a member of General Grant's staff directing Colonel Reid to hold the
position in which he had formed, to prevent strugglers from the battlefield from reaching the
landing. The regiment remained in that position for about an hour, when and order came from
General Grant to Colonel Reid to advance to the support of General McClernand's division, some
two miles to the front. The Sixteenth Iowa Infantry was included in this order, and the two
regiments moved promptly forward under the direction of a staff officer of General McClernand.
A great many soldiers were met, retreating from the battlefield, while the roar of battle in
front indicated that a desperate conflict was in progress, in which the enemy was succeeding in
pressing the Union forces toward the river. The situation was such as to test to the utmost
the courage of these men who were fresh from their homes, unused to the dreadful scenes
transpiring about them, with the boon of cannon and crash of musketry sounding nearer each
moment and with the panic-stricken and wounded streaming to the rear; yet they pressed steadily
forward. The following extract from Colonel Reid's official report will show how bravely his
regiment conducted itself when it came into action, and while under the fire of the enemy.
Our flag staff was shot through and our colors riddled with bullets; for two hours, from
10 to 12 o'clock, we maintained our position, our men fighting like veterans. The undersigned
was severely wounded by a musket ball through the neck, which knocked him from his horse,
paralyzed fro the time, but recovering in a short time, remounted and continued in command
throughout the fight. Fifteen of the thirty-two commissioned officers who went on the filed
had been killed, wounded, or taken prisoners; twenty-two officers and men had been killed, and
one hundred and fifty-six wounded. *** The enemy were attempting to outflank us on the right
and left, we were unsupported by artillery or any other regiment except the gallant Sixteenth
which had also suffered severely. It became necessary for the two regiments to retreat or run
the risk of being captured, and by order of General McClernand the retreat was made. Portions
of the regiments rallied and fought with other divisions later in the day and on Monday. Where
nearly all fought with bravery it might seem invidious to particularize, but I hope to do no
one injustice by specially pointing out those whose personal valor, during the action, came
under my notice. Lieutenant Colonel Dewey had his horse shot under him; Major Belknap was
always in the right place, at the right time, directing and encouraging officers and men as
coolly as a veteran; he was wounded but not disabled, and had his horse shot under him, but
remained on the field performing his duty on foot. Adjutant Pomutz distinguished himself
during the action for his coolness and courage; he, too, was wounded. Captains Kittle of
company A, Smith of company B, Seevers of company C, Madison of company D, Hutchcraft of
company E, Cunningham of company G, Day of company I, Hedrick of company k, who was captured in
a charge upon the enemy, all distinguished themselves for their gallantry and courage in
leading forward and encouraging their men; Captain Blackmar of company F, was wounded in the
action and disabled; First Lieutenant Goode of same company also wounded; Captain Clark, of
company H, was not in the engagement, having been left sick in the hospital at St. Louis;
Captains Hutchcraft and Day were both severely wounded; Second Lieutenant Penniman of company
A, and Hamilton of company I, were killed while bravely performing their duty. First
Lieutenant King and Second Lieutenant Danielson of company H, were both severely wounded while
acting well their part, thus leaving the company without a commissioned officer. First
Lieutenants Studer of company B, Porter of company D, Craig of company B, Hanks of company G,
J. Monroe Reid of company I, who, though wounded himself, continued in command of the company
after the Captain was disabled and the Second Lieutenant killed, and Eldridge of company K, all
deserve special praise for the manner in which they conducted themselves on the field. Second
Lieutenant Lanstrum of company B, Brown of company E, Herbert of company C, and Sergeant Major
Brown, who was severely wounded, conducted themselves well on the field. The non-commissioned
officers generally were at their posts and performed their duty. The Color Sergeant, Newton J.
Rogers, who fought in the First Iowa st Springfield, gallantly bore our standard forward and
planted it among the enemy where it was bravely maintained and defended by portions of
companies C, E, I and K. It must be remembered that this regiment had just received its arms
and that the men had never had an opportunity of learning the use of them until they came on
the battlefield; that they had just landed and were attached to no brigade, and fought the
enemy without the support of artillery, in a position from which more experienced troops had
been compelled to retire. We have no means of learning the loss of the enemy in this
engagement except from what they told some of our wounded men, who were taken prisoners and
left behind the next day, when the enemy made their final retreat; but from this source we
learned that they had forty men killed in the immediate vicinity of our colors, and a large
number wounded. While we mourn our comrades in arms, the gallant dead, whose lives were
sacrificed on the altar of their country, we are solaced with the belief that a grateful people
will, in after times, pay a proper tribute to their memory.
At the close of his report, Colonel Reid expresses his obligations to Quartermaster
Higley, Surgeon Davis, Assistant Surgeon Gibbon and Chaplain Estabrook, for the faithful and
efficient manner in which they discharged the duties of their respective offices. Colonel Reid
states that the total loss of his regiment at the battle of Shiloh was 186. In the tabulated
returns of casualties, as shown by the official records, the total loss is given as 185, and
this slight discrepancy is readily accounted for, as stated by Loren S. Tyler, who compiled the
history of the Fifteenth Iowa Infantry (publishes in 1887) in which he gives a tabulated
statement of losses, by companies, showing an aggregate loss of 213, and says, "Without
original lists of casualties, it is impossible to make a list that will agree with the number
stated in the reports of battle, as, after the reports have been forwarded to headquarters,
other casualties are always found." Adjutant Pomutz states that the number of the regiment
engaged was 760, and gives the total loss as 188. The loss was, therefore, very nearly one-
fourth of the number engaged.
The compiler has given more space to the account of this first battle in which the
regiment was engaged than he will be able to give to those which followed. With the highest
appreciation of its subsequent splendid achievements on other battlefields, he considers the
battle of Shiloh as having been the severest test of the courage and fortitude of the officers
and men of the regiment to which they were subjected during their long term of service. No
regiment ever acquitted itself with greater credit in its first battle.
Soon after the battle the regiment was attached to a temporary brigade, consisting of
the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Iowa, and Eighteenth Wisconsin, Infantry, of which Colonel Reid of
the Fifteenth Iowa was in command, and which took part in the advance upon Corinth, Miss., to
which place the defeated rebel army had retreated, and where, behind strong earth-works, it
grimly awaited the attack of the Union army. April 27, 1862, marked an important event in the
career of the regiment, for unop that date it became a part of the brigade consisting th the
Eleventh, Thirteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteeth Regiments of Iowa Infantry, known as Crocker's
Iowa Brigade, and which achieved great distinction by it subsequent brilliant achievements in
battle. The history of these four Iowa regiments fo the remainder of the war is largely
identical. They remained together until they were mustered out, their terms of service
expiring about the same time.
The Union lines continued to advance upon Corinth, and laid siege to that stronghold.
The Brigade, under command of the gallant and gifted Col. M. M. Crocker, of the Thirteenth
Iowa, tool part in the arduous siege operations which ensued, and which ended on the morning of
May 30, 1862, the enemy having evacuated Corinth during the previous night. The army of the
Tennessee at once took possession of the abandoned works. During the month of June the
regiment and brigade were encamped near Corinth. On June 27th the Fifteenth Iowa moved inside
the works and acted as provost guard for the post, Major Belknap acting as Provost Marshall.
At the end of July the regiment, with its brigade and division, under the command of
General Tuttle, was ordered to march ot Bolivar, to re-inforce the troops at that important
post. Soon after reaching Bolivar, General Tuttle was ordered to another command and Colonel
Crocker succeeded him in command of the division. The command of the brigade now devolved upon
Colonel Reid, who detailed, Adjutant Pomutz as Assistant Adjutant General. The enemy, in large
force, continued in the vicinity of Bolivar for several weeks, and an attack was constantly
threatened; but this proved to be a ruse, intended to draw away from Corinth a sufficient
number of Union troops to enable the rebel forces to recapture that important post. When the
real purpose of the enemy was discovered, by his sudden appearance at Iuka and capture of that
place, the Fifteenth Iowa, with it brigade, was ordered to return to Corinth, and thence to
Iuka, where it assisted in the operations against the enemy. But only one of the regiments of
the Brigade was ordered forward and became engaged in the battle if Iuka; this was the
Sixteenth Iowa, which fought bravely and lost heavily in that engagement on Sept. 19, 1862.
The brigade now returned to Corinth, where, on the 3d and 4th of October, 1862, it took
part in the hard fought battles in and around that place. the Fifteenth Iowa occupied and
advanced position and suffered heavy loss. The following extracts from the official report of
Col. M. M. Crocker, brigade commander, will show how the regiment performed its duty in these
battles:
About 5 o'clock on the morning of the 3d inst., the brigade formed, two regiments (the
Eleventh and Thirteenth in line of battles facing the west, and the Fifteenth and Sixteenth in
close column by division in rear of the line. The regiments remained in that position, with
skirmishers deployed in front, receiving and occasional cannon shot, until about 3 o'clock,
when, the division on the right having fallen back, a change of front was ordered. The
Fifteenth and Sixteenth were then formed in line of battle perpendicular to the first line and
the eleventh and Thirteenth in close column by division in the rear.
In this position the brigade remained until about 4 P. M., when orders were received to
again change front so as to connect the right of the brigade with the left of General Davies'
division, its left to rest in the direction of Battery E. After the execution of this order
had been commenced notice was received from General McKean that the division was to move back
inside the inner fortification, and an order received that the Eleventh and Thirteenth
Regiments form in line of battle a quarter of a mile in rear of the line formed by the
Fifteenth and Sixteenth, in fron of and parallel to the road over which the artillery of the
division must pass, and the brigade to protect the movements of the rest of the division and
the artillery.
The execution of the order to move back had just commenced when the enemy, in greatly
superior force, attacked the front line--the Fifteenth and Sixteenth. The officers and men of
these regiments, acting with signal determination and bravery, not only held the enemy in
check, but drive him back, and held their position until notice was received that the artillery
had passed safely to the rear, when they were ordered to fall back and form in line of battle
on the right of the second line, which they did in good order, the enemy declining to follow.
This engagement lasted three-quarters of and hour; the firing was incessant, and the regiments,
especially the Fifteenth, suffered severely.
I deem it my especial duty to particularly mention Lieutenant Colonel Belknap, who
commanded the Fifteenth Regiment. This regiment was under the hottest fire, and Colonel
Belknap was everywhere along the line, mounted, with sword in hand, encouraging by voice and
gesture his men to stand their ground. Lieut. Col. Addison H. Sanders, who commanded the
Sixteenth, is entitled to great praise. He rode along the line of his regiment amid the storm
of bullets, encouraging his brave boys who had so lately suffered at Iuka, to remember their
duty, and although severely wounded, remained with his regiment until it marched off the field.
Major Cunningham, of the Fifteenth, and Purcell, of the Sixteenth, did their whole duty, and
conducted themselves with great bravery.
Colonel Crocker then describes the positions occupied by his brigade after passing inside
the fortifications at Corinth; the part it performed behind the works during the engagement of
October 4th, in which ir suffered but few casualties; the pursuit of the retreating enemy, in
which his whole brigade participated, and which continued until the evening of October 8th, and
the return to Corinth on the 13th; and, near the close of his report, says:
The Brigade, during the protracted movements of the battle and pursuit, encountering
every hardship and privation incident to such campaigning, behaved with great fortitude,
meeting every danger and hardship cheerfully; and I acknowledge my obligations to all the field
officers for their cheerful, hearty and intelligent co-operation. Col. H. T. Reid of the
Fifteenth Iowa, though prostrated by illness and unable to be in the filed during the first
day's engagement, on the second day left his sick bed, joined his command, and, though unble to
ride his horse, remained with his regiment, traveling in an ambulance until the pursuit was
abandoned. Lieutenant Lanstrum of the Fifteenth Iowa, who acted as aide, deported himself as a
good and faithful soldier. the loss of the brigade occurred principally in the engagement on
the 3d instant, the Fifteenth suffering most. The killed, wounded and missing are as follows,
namely; killed 14, wounded 119, missing 22. Total 146.
The tabulated report of casualties gives the losses of the Brigade by regiments, as
follows:
Eleventh Iowa, Killed 3, wounded 8, missing 10, Total, 21
Thirteenth Iowa, Killed 1, wounded 14, missing--, Total 15
Fifteenth Iowa, Killed 11, wounded 67, missing 8, Total 86
Sixteenth Iowa, Killed 1, wounded 20, missing 6, Total 27
Total loss of Brigade------------------------------ 149
It will thus be seen that, in the battles of Shiloh and Corinth alone, the regiment had
sustained and aggregate loss of 334, not including its smaller losses during the siege and its
minor encounters with the enemy around Bolivar, which would considerable increase this
aggregate. With less than eight months of its three years' term of service completed, it had
made a record as a fighting regiment that would have entitled it to a most prominent place in
history, if its service had ended with the battle of Corinth. The record of the long series of
campaigns and battles through which the regiment was yet to pass must be condensed into a space
not exceeding that already occupied, and to this difficult task the compiler now commits
himself.
Upon its return to Corinth the regiment went into camp, where it remained for several
weeks. The weather grew cold and the troops were preparing for winter quarters, when, on
November 2d, orders came to take up the line of march for Grand Junction, at which place the
command arrived on November 5th, and where a part of the troops, that were to [participate in
the expedition against Vicksburg, were being concentrated. On November 28th the troops were
put in motion for the South, the Third Brigade of the Sixth Division of Hamilton's Corps
(Crocker's Iowa Brigade) taking the advance. The Fifteenth Iowa, with its brigade, took a
prominent part in the operations of that great expedition which penetrated to the interior of
Mississippi, and was well on the way towards Vicksburg when a strong force of the enemy's
cavalry succeeded in getting in the rear of General Grant's army, captured Holly Springs, where
the immense stores of supplies for the use of the army had been accumulated, destroyed the
supplies, and thus compelled the retreat of the army towards Memphis. During this retrograde
movement the soldiers suffered greatly from exposure to frequent storms and from lack of
sufficient food.
The regiment, with ist brigade and division, reached Memphis on the 13th of January,
1863. On January 18th, the expedition against Vicksburg was renewed, this time by way of the
Mississippi River. The regiments and brigades of the Sixth Division, including Crocker's Iowa
Brigade, embarked on a fleet of fifteen steamers and were conveyed down the great river to
Milliken's Bend, a short distance above the mouth of the Yazoo River. Here the troops
disembarked and went into camp. From this point a detachment from the brigade--consisting of
details from the Fifteenth Iowa and the other regiments, under command of Lieutenant Colonel
Belknap--was mounted and sent upon a couple of reconnoitering expeditions, in which they came
in contact with the enemy and lost one man killed and several wounded.
On the 20th of January, 1863, the Third Brigade and the Sixth Division were transferred
to Major General McPherson's Seventeenth Army Corps, Brigadier General McArthur retaining
command of the division, and Colonel Crocker of the brigade. On February 8th the command
embarked and was conveyed to Providence, on the Louisiana shore, seventy miles north of
Vicksburg, where it disembarked and went into camp. Here the cutting of the canal-- to connect
Lake Providence with the Mississippi--was begun and continued, until the 16th of March, when it
was completed. It was an arduous undertaking, participated in by all the troops, in which the
Fifteenth Iowa bore its full part. During the first days in March, the regiment and brigade
were subjected to a rigid inspection by William E. Strong, Inspector General of the Seventeenth
Army Corps, who highly commended the officers, and men for their soldierly bearing, excellence
in drill and the manual of arms, , and the correct manner in which the records were kept, and
concludes his report as follows: "Once more I say that the Third Brigade, commanded by Col. M.
M. Crocker, are an honor to the army of the Tennessee, and honor to their friends at home, to
their State and to their country, and I know from their record in the filed, that they must be
a terror to the foe."
On March 10th, Lieutenant Colonel Belknap was detached from the regiment and appointed
Provost Mrshal of the Seventeenth Corps. The regiment with ts brigade left Lake Providence
April 21st, and, from that time until the close of the Vicjsburg campaign, was actively engaged
in important movements, contributing its full share to the accomplishment of the grand result--
the surrender of the rebel stronghold on the 4th of July, 1863.
About the time the command moved from Lake Providence, Colonel Crocker--whose appointment
as Brigadier General had been confirmed--was assigned to the command of the Seventh Division of
the Seventeenth Army Corps, and was thus separated from the brigade which bore his name and
whose splendid conduct, under his command, had been a most important factor in securing his
promotion, Col H. T. Reid, having been promoted to Brigadier General, was assigned to the
command of the First Brigade of the division; Colonel Hall of the eleventh Iowa, who was the
senior officer present for duty, became commander of the Third Brigade, and Lieutenant Colonel
Belknap--who was soon after promoted to Colonel--returned from staff duty and took command of
the regiment.
On the 26th of April the regiment and brigade marched to Holmes' Plantation and remained
in camp there until May 11th. On May 13th, marched to Hard Times Landing, and crossed by boat
to Grand Gulf, south of Vicksburg. The subsequent movements of the Fifteenth Iowa up to and
including July 4th--the date of the surrender of Vicksburg-are described in the official report
of Colonel Belknap, showing the numerous positions to which it was assigned during the progress
of the siege, and the important service it performed, being part of the time on duty in the
regiment occupied a position near Messenger's Ferry, in view of Johnston's army. At the close
of his report Colonel Belknap says: "The men of this regiment have endured the hardships of
these severe marches and the trials of the campaign without a murmur. Whether at work in the
trenches or acting as sharpshooters, they have evinced an alacrity, zeal and courage which
deserves full commendation, and in every movement I have had the full co-operation of every
officer of the command."
After the surrender of Vicksburg the regiment with its brigade took part in the
expedition against Johnston, which ended with the evacuation of Jackson by the rebel forces on
July 16th. The Third Brigade, now under the command of Colonel chambers of the Sixteenth Iowa,
returned towards Vicksburg, halting at Black River until relieved by other troops, when it
marched to Vicksburg and went into camp north of the city. Here a considerable number of the
men were given a thirty days' furlough and some of the officers were granted leaves of absence
for the same length of time, Colonel Belknap among the number.
On the 21st of August the regiment, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Hendrick,
participated in an expedition against a force of the enemy occupying a fortified position at
Monroe, La., on the Washita River. After a toilsome march and considerable skirmishing, by the
cavalry which led the advance, the Regiment formed in line--with the other Union forces--in
front of the enemy's position, but, after a brief skirmish, the rebel forces retreated,
abandoning the town and a considerable quantity of military stores. The object of the
expedition having been accomplished, the troops returned to Vicksburg, where they arrived Sept.
3, 1863.
Colonel Chambers, of the Sixteenth Iowa, having been promoted to Brigadier General, was
assigned to the command of the Sixth Division on September 11th, and Colonel Hall of the
eleventh Iowa again took command of the brigade, which moved to a new camp south of Vicksburg.
Here the regiment was engaged in the performance of camp and garrison duty, varied only by
participation in several expeditions into the country, in which it did not come into contact
with the enemy. From the middle of September, 1863, to the last of January, 1864, the regiment
was almost entirely relieved from active operations in the field. this long period was
employed to the very best advantage by Colonel Belknap in instructing his officers and men in
the proper discharge of their duties in camp, on the march and in battle. This capable and
energetic officer felt a just pride in the high state of discipline and efficiency to which his
regiment had attained. he had the satisfaction of witnessing the good results of his
instruction in the splendid conduct of his regiment in the subsequent campaigns and battles in
which it was engaged, and which are all too briefly described in the remainder of this
historical sketch.
Near the close of the year 1862, in response to the call of the Government, Three-fourths
of the men of the Fifteenth Iowa had re-enlisted for three years, or during the war, to date
from the expiration of their original term of service. On the 3d of February, 1864, the
regiment, with its brigade and division, again took up the line of march and became part of the
army, under command of Maj. Gen. W. T. Sherman, which penetrated far into the interior of the
State of Mississippi. While the regiment did not come into actual contact with the enemy on
this expedition, it sustained its full share of the of the hardships incident to a long march
in winter without tents and often without sufficient rations. The regiment returned to its
camp at Vicksburg on the 4th of March. On the 13th, that portion of the regiment which had
re-enlisted started on veteran furlough to their homes in Iowa, being conveyed by steamer to
Keokuk, which place they reached on March 22d, and each soldier was given a furlough of 30 days
from that date; at the expiration of which they retuned to Keokuk and were conveyed, by way of
Cairo, Ill., and Paducah, Ky., to Clifton, Tenn., where they landed May 6, 1864. From Clifton
the command marched to Pulaski, Tenn., and thence to Huntsville, Ala., where the non-veterans
of the regiment, under command of Major Pomutz, had previously arrived, and the regiment was
re-united. In the meantime, General Crocker had been compelled to relinquish the command of
the division, on account of poor health, and Gen. w. Q. Gresham had succeeded him as division
commander. Major General McPherson, having been promoted to the command of the Army of the
Tennessee, was succeeded by Maj. Gen. Frank P. Blair, Jr., as commander of the Seventeenth Army
Corps. It was with deep regret that the regiment and brigade witnessed the departure of their
old commander, General Crocker, to whom they had become greatly attached.
And now the great campaign, which was to have such a decisive effect, was about to begin.
The regiment, with its brigade, division and corps, marching through the mountainous districts
of northern Alabama and Georgia, by way of Rome, Kingston and Allatoona, reached Ackworth June
8th and there joined McPherson's Army of the Tennessee, the Seventeenth Corps occupying the
extreme left of Sherman's Grand Army, composed of the Armies of the Cumberland, Tennessee and
Ohio.
From Ackworth to Big Shanty, Kenesaw Mountain, Noonday Creek, Brushy Mountain, Nick-a-
jack Creek, turner's Ferry and the Chattahoochee, the regiment with its brigade pushed steadily
on, skirmishing with the enemy almost constantly and driving him from one after another of his
strongly entrenched positions, all of which were bravely and stubbornly defended. These heavy
skirmishes often rose to the dignity of a battle; indeed, it might be said that it was a
regular series of battles, in which the
Fifteenth Iowa sustained its full share of the fighting. General Sherman made this statement:
"It is impossible to state accurately our losses in one separate battle; for the fighting was
continuous, almost daily, among trees and bushes, on ground, where one could rarely see a
hundred yards ahead." Up to the 22d of July the Fifteenth Iowa had lost nearly one hundred in
killed and wounded. In the battles of the 21st, 22d and 28th of July, near Atlanta, the
regiment lost heavily. The official reports of Col. Wm. W. Belknap show in detail the splendid
conduct of his regiment in these engagements. Space will only permit brief quotations from
these reports. Of the charge of the regiment on the 21st he says: "At 8 o'clock on the
morning of the 21st, skirmishing having been constant after daylight, the order was received
from Colonel Shane commanding brigade, to advance on the enemy's works in front. The whole
front line advanced rapidly with cheers to the crest of the hill in full view of the rebel
works, and fought with valor and determination. In front of the Fifteenth Iowa a battery of
several guns, previously masked, opened upon us with grape and canister, and when the line was
ordered to retire it did so in good order, notwithstanding the withering fire from the battery.
The attack was successful in enabling Force's brigade to hold the hill on our left, and
compelling the evacuation of the line by the enemy on the next morning. The officers and men
of the regiment did their duty, as they always di.
After describing the different positions occupied by his regiment in that tremendous
battle of July 22, 1864, in which the fifteenth and the other regiments of the Iowa Brigade so
greatly distinguished themselves, Colonel Belknap depicts the closing scene of that terrible
conflict, as follows:
The enemy fought bravely and obstinately, and many of them were shot down fighting at the
muzzles of our guns. The Forty-fifth Alabama, led by Colonel Lampley and Major Freeman,
advanced on our line, but was instantly repulsed, every man within view being killed or
captured. The Fifteenth Iowa captured two field officers, a captain and many men of this
regiment, and the Lieutenant Colonel of the Thirty-eighth Tennessee. The bearer of the
regiment, battle flag was shot down by Private Crowder of company C, and the commanding officer
of the regiment had the satisfaction of personally capturing Colonel Lampley, commanding
officer of the Forty-Fifth Alabama. The regiment mourns the loss of its gallant dead.
Veterans and recruits fought side by side, and testified their bravery and devotion. Lieut. E.
M. Gebhart, of company D, was the only officer killed; wounded severely at Shiloh, captured
there and a prisoner for months, he returned to his regiment, bravely did his duty, and died a
soldier's death. The army has in its ranks no braver man. My thanks are due to Adj. E. H.
King and all the officers and men of the regiment for their gallantry that contributed so
eminently to the success of the day. We had 380 men in line, 131 of whom were killed or
captured.
After a brief respite, the regiment went into battle on July 28, 1864, and again
gloriously sustained the honor of the flag. The combined losses of the regiment in these three
days of battle were 190 men and officers out of 428 engaged, making an aggregate loss of forty-
five per cent. No regiment that participated in the great Atlanta campaign made a better
record.
Col. Wm. W. Belknap was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General July 30th, and was
assigned to the command of his old Iowa brigade. Maj. George Pomutz was at the same time--at
his own request--relieved from staff duty at corps headquarters, and returning to his regiment,
assumed command, in the absence of Lieutenant Colonel Hedrick, who was severely wounded in the
battle of July 22d. The regiment and brigade continued in constant and active service to the
close of the great campaign, and the list of killed and wounded grew longer. On the 1st of
September the enemy evacuated Atlanta. The regiment and brigade took part in the pursuit of
Hood's army, and in all the operations of the division and army corps after the fall of
Atlanta. In his very complete and caregully detailed hstory of the regiment, from its
organization to its final muster out of the service, Lieut. col. George Pomutz gives a
statement showing the remarkable experience of the Fifteenth Iowa Infantry during the campaign
and up to the fall of Atlanta. the statement is here quoted as follows:
The Fifteenth Iowa was under fire during the siege of Atlanta, on the following days;
In June, from 10th to 30th inclusive, north of Atlanta, 20 days,
In July, from 1st to 16th inclusive, north of Atlanta, 16 days,
In July, from 20th to 26th inclusive, east of Atlanta, 7 days,
In July from 27th to 31st inclusive, west of Atlanta, 5 days,
In August, from 1st to 26th inclusive, southwest of Atlanta, 26 days,
In August, from 28th to 31st inclusive, southwest of Atlanta, 2 days,
In September, from 1st to 5th inclusive, southeast of Atlanta, 5 days.
Number of days 81 days.
Days of battles or advances upon the enemy, or of repulsing the enemy's attacks:
June 15th, 19th, 23d, 27th 4 days
July 4th, 5th, 20th, 21st, 22d, 28th 6 days
August 17th, 20th, 28th, 31st 4 days
September 1st, 2d 2 days
Total days 16 days
On the 19th of October, 1864, the non-veterans, whose term of service had expired, were
conveyed by rail to Chattanooga, and were there mustered out of the service. These men were
entitled to the honor of having faithfully performed their duty and of serving the full term
for which they had enlisted. The end of the great war was evidently near, and the soldiers who
had re-enlisted, together with the recruits constantly joining them, gave the Government an
army amply sufficient for the crushing out of the rebellion.
The veteran regiment, and the recruits which had been assigned to it, now entered upon
the closing campaigns of the war. During the long and arduous march from Atlanta to the sea,
and from Savannah through the Carolinas to Richmond and on to Washington, the regiment and
brigade, its numbers greatly augmented by recruits which joined it on the way, performed every
duty with the same alacrity fidelity which had characterized it in the past. There was much
fighting yet to be done, but there were no great battles fought; the enemy, while stubbornly
and bravely resisting the advance of the Union army, not being strong enough to seriously
impede its progress. The rebel General Johnston surrendered his army on the 26th of April,
1865, and, from that time, the march towards the North was unobstructed. On the 19th of May
the long march was ended, and the regiment went into camp at Alexandria near Washington.
May 24, 1865, General Sherman's army passed in review before the President and Lieutenant
General Grant. Conspicuous among the troops in that splendid pageant was the Iowa Brigade
whose first commander, the gallant General Crocker, was then in Washington, suffering from the
malady which had compelled him to leave the field, and from the effects of which he died soon
afterwards. On June 1st the Army of the Tennessee was ordered to Louisville, Ky. The troops
were conveyed by rail to Parkersburg, on the Ohio river, and thence by steamboat to Louisville,
where the Fifteenth Iowa arrived June 12th, and remained in camp until July 24, 1865, on which
date it was mustered out of the service of the United States. It then proceeded by rail to
Davenport, Iowa, where it received final payment, was disbanded, and the men returned to their
homes. Before disbanding, Lieut. Col. George Pomutz issued a farewell order, in which, after
recounting the experience of the regiment amid the trials, dangers and hardships of war, he
concludes as follows:
Soldiers of the Fifteenth Iowa;--Your record is a noble one. For three and a half years
you have borne the banner of the stars and stripes, the emblem of the power and unity of or
Government; at the same time as the exponent of your own determination to assist in upholding
that Government nd its laws, you have carried and defended that banner through a distance
marched, and traveled, of seven thousand eight hundred ninety-eight miles, since March, 1862.
Out of the aggregate number of 1, 763 men who have been members of the regiment since its
organization, 1, 051 are out, a fearful proportion of whom comprises those killed, the deceased
and those crippled and disabled for life. Proof enough of the devotion of the members of the
regiment to our Government and its laws. Then let our actions and deeds show, when we return
to our firesides, that we are the foremost in obeying the laws of the country we have been
fighting to uphold, that we are determined to let our future conduct ever be that of peaceful
citizens in time of peace, as it has been that of true warriors in time of war.
This patriotic injunction has been faithfully observed by the survivors of the Fifteenth
Iowa, whose record as citizens has been kept up to the high standard of their military service.
Many of them have been important factors in the development and upbuilding of this great
commonwealth, which has discharged a high duty in thus endeavoring to honor the memory of the
brave men it sent forth to battle for the principles of justice and human liberty, as
exemplified by the Government of the United States of America.
SUMMARY OF CASUALTIES.
Total Enrollment 1926
Killed 65
Wounded 416
Died of wounds 80
Died of disease 198
Discharged for wounds, disease and other causes 332
Captured 83
Transferred 32
Buried in National Cemeteries 168
FIFTEENTH REGIMENT IOWA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Term of service three years
Mustered into service of the United States at Keokuk, Iowa,
Feb. 22, 1862, by Capt. Charles C. Smith and Lieut. C. J. Ball,
United States Army.
Mustered out July 24, 1865, Louisville, KY.
Roster of Field Commissioned and Non-Commissioned Staff Officers at muster
in of organization, together with subsequent appointments
from civil life.
Filed and Staff
William W. Estabrook. Age 24. Residence Clinton, nativity New Brunswick. Appointed Chaplain
Dec. 2, 1861. Mustered Feb. 22, 1962. Resigned April 2, 1863. See Field and Staff, Forty-
fifth Infantry.
Non-Commissioned Staff.
Jesse P. Penniman. Age 22. Residence Lyons, nativity New York. Enlisted Oct. 3, 1971.
Appointed Sergeant Major Dec. 1, 1861, from Second Sergeant of company A. Mustered Dec. 16,
1861. Promoted Second Lieutenant of company A Feb. 20, 1862. See company A.
Company "A"
Bailie, Samuel. Age 23. Residence Lyons, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Oct. 20, 1861. Mustered
Nov, 16, 1861. wounded slightly in head Oct. 3, 1862, Corinth, Miss, Wounded in hand and
shoulder Aug. 15, 1864, near Atlanta, Ga. Mustered out Jan. 28, 1865, Davenport, Iowa,
expiration of term of service.
Benedict, DeWitt C. Age 36. Nativity New York. Enlisted Sept. 28, 1864. Mustered Sept. 28,
1864. Wounded in right arm and right side March 21, 1865, Falling Creek, N. C. Mustered out
June 2, 1865, Washington, D C.
Bole, James L. Age 22. Residence Lyons, nativity Pennsylvania. enlisted Oct. 5, 1861, as
Drummer. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. discharged for disability Sept. 4, 1862, Quincy, Ill.
Bole, William H. Age 19. Residence Lyons, nativity Pennsylvania. Enlisted Oct. 5, 1861, as
Fifer. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Wounded in leg July 22, 1964, near Atlanta, Ga. Discharged
Nov. 15, 1864, expiration of term of service.
Brainard, Lewis C. Age 22. Residence Charlotte, nativity Michigan. Enlisted Oct. 1, 1961, as
third Corporal. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Promoted fourth Sergeant March 1, 1962. Did of
typhoid fever June 2, 1962, Monterey, Tenn. Buried in Shiloh National Cemetery, Pittsburg
Landing, Tenn. Section B, grave 58
Bump, Horace. (Veteran.) Age 29. Residence Lyons, nativity New York. enlisted Oct. 25,
1861. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Re-enlisted and re-mustered Jan. 29, 1864. Mustered out July
24, 1865, Louisville, Ky.
Company "G"
Babcock, Charles. Age 19. Residence Elk River, nativity New York. Enlisted Oct. 28, 1864.
Mustered Oct. 28, 1864. Mustered out July 24, 1865, Louisville, KY.
Company "A"
Connor, Michael. Age 38. Residence Lyons, nativity Ireland. Enlisted Sept. 28, 1861.
Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Discharged Nov. 15, 1864, expiration of term of service.
Eberhart, Nicholas. Age 18. Residence Lyons, nativity Germany. Enlisted Oct. 5, 1861.
Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Transferred to Veterans Reserve Corps March 15, 1861. Mustered out
Nov. 15, 1864, Davenport, Iowa, expiration of term of service.
Evans, Edward. Age 18. Residence Lyons, nativity England. Enlisted Sept. 22, 1861. Mustered
Nov. 16, 1861. discharged Nov. 15, 1864, expiration of term of service.
Evans. John F. Age 19. Residence Lyons, nativity England. Enlisted Sept. 22, 1961, as Eighth
Corporal. Mustered Nov. 16. 1861. Reduced to ranks at his own request March 1, 1862.
Promoted Fourth Sergeant June 21, 1862; Third Sergeant Oct. 18. 1862; First Sergeant Nov. 16,
1862; Second Lieutenant Dec. 10, 1862. Wounded in right thigh July 22, 1864, near Atlanta, Ga.
Mustered out Jan. 4, 1865.
Getty, James. (Veteran.) Age 19. Residence Lyons, nativity Pennsylvania. Enlisted Oct. 5,
1861. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Re-enlisted and re-mustered Jan. 29, 1864. Wounded and taken
prisoner July 22, 1864, near Atlanta, Ga. Returned Nov. 10, 1864. Mustered out July 24, 1865,
Louisville, Ky.
Gilbreth, Robert. Age 24. Residence Lyons, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Sept. 20. 1861. Mustered
Nov. 16. 1861. discharged for disability April 20, 1862, Pittsburg Landing, Tenn.
Hatfield, Alonzo. Age 21. Residence Lyons, nativity New York. Enlisted Sept 15, 1861.
Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Promoted Third Sergeant March 1, 1862. discharged for disability
July 25, 1862, Corinth, Miss.
Hurlburt, Augustus. Age 20. Residence Lyons, nativity New York. Enlisted Oct 4, 1861.
Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Wounded in battle April 6, 1862, Shiloh, Tenn. discharged May 31,
1862. See company B, First Cavalry.
Kittle, Josiah W. Age 27. Residence Lyons, nativity New York. Appointed Captain Nov. 16,
1861. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Re-enlisted and re-mustered May 28, 1861. Resigned Nov.
27,1862, Tennessee. See company I, Second Infantry.
Lambard, Frank. Age 21. Residence Lyons, nativity Maine. Enlisted Oct. 4, 1861. Mustered
Nov. 16, 1861. Wounded slightly in instep April 6, 1862, Shiloh, Tenn. discharged for
disability May 30, 1864, Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Mo.
Lawderbaugh, David. Age 18. Residence Lyons, nativity Iowa. Enlisted Oct. 7. 1861. Mustered
Nov. 16, 1861. Died of chronic diarrhoes Dec. 15, 1863, Keokuk, Iowa. buried in Oakland
Cemetery, Keokuk, Iowa.
McAllister, Barnard. (Veteran.) Age 20. Residence Lyons, nativity Canada. Enlisted Oct. 5,
1861. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Re-enlisted and Re-mustered Jan. 29, 1864. Promoted Fifth
Corporal Jan. 5, 1865; Fifth Sergeant June 1, 1865. Mustered out July 24, 1865, Louisville, Ky
McCune, william H. Age 26. Residence Clinton, nativity New York. enlisted April 26, 1864.
Mustered April 27, 1864. Mustered out July 24, 1865, Louisville, Ky.
McKinster, Daniel. (Veteran.) Age 21. Residence Lyons, nativity New York. Enlisted Oct. 1,
1861. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Re-enlisted and re-mustered Jan. 29, 1864. wounded in left
foot July 23, 1864, Kenesaw Mountain, Ga. Mustered out July 24, 1865, Louisville, Ky.
McKinster, William. (Veteran.) Age 20. Residence Lyons, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Sept. 30.
1861. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Re-enlisted and re-mustered Jan. 29, 1964. Promoted Sixth
Corporal Jan. 5, 1865; Fourth corporal June 1, 1865. Mustered out July 24, 1865, Louisville,
Ky.
McLaughlin, John. Age 19. Residence Lyons, nativity Massachusetts. Enlisted Oct. 10, 1861.
Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. discharged for disability april 26, 1862, St. Louis, Mo.
Malany, John. Age 34. Residence Lyons, nativity Ireland. Enlisted Oct. 4, 1861. Mustered
Nov. 16, 1861. wounded slightly in leg Oct. 8, 1862, Corinth, Miss. discharged Nov. 15, 1864,
Davenport, Iowa, expiration of term of service.
Meel. David S. Age 22. Residence Lyons, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Sept. 17, 1861, as First
Corporal. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Reduced to ranks at his own request March 1, 1862.
discharged Nov. 15, 1864, expiration of term of service.
Morey, Elanson. Age 23. Residence Lyons, nativity Indiana. Enlisted Sept. 24, 1861.
Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Died of measles Dec. 29, 1861, Keokuk, Iowa.
Murphy, Michael. Age 27. Residence Lyons. Enlisted Jan. 7, 1864. Mustered Jan. 9, 1864.
Mustered out July 24, 1865, Louisville, Ky.
COMPANY "I"
Moles, Achilles. Age 25. Residence Spring Rock, nativity Virginia. Enlisted Sept. 24, 1864.
Mustered Sept. 24 1864. died in hospital of chronic diarrhoea March 4, 1865.
COMPANY "A"
Penniman, Jesse B. Age 22. Residence Lyons, nativity New York. Enlisted Oct. 3, 1861, as
Second Sergeant. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Promoted Sergeant Major Dec. 1, 1861; Second
Lieutenant Feb. 20, 1862. Killed in battle April 7, 1862,
Shiloh, Tenn. See company I, Second Infantry. See Field and Staff.
COMPANY "G"
Paul, Joseph H. Age 18. Residence Bloomfield, nativity Iowa. Enlisted March 22, 1864.
Mustered March 22, 1864. wounded. Mustered out July 24, 1865, Louisville, Ky.
COMPANY "A"
Reed, Samuel P. (Veteran.) Age 20. Residence Lyons, nativity Pennsylvania. Enlisted Sept.
18, 1861. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Wounded Oct. 3, 1862, Corinth, Miss. re-enlisted and re-
mustered Jan. 29,1864. wounded and missing July 22, 1864, near Atlanta. Ga. Promoted Seventh
Corporal June 1. 1865, Shiloh, Tenn. discharged for disability April 8, 1863, Jackson, Tenn.
Ross, Wesley. (Veteran.) Age 18. Residence Lyons, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Sept. 25, 1861.
Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Re-enlisted and re-mustered Jan. 29, 1864. Promoted Fifth Sergeant
Jan. 5, 1865; Fourth Sergeant June 1, 1865. Mustered out July 24, 1865, Louisville, Ky.
Shull, Richard R. (Veteran.) Age 32. Residence Lyons, nativity Indiana. Enlisted Oct. 9,
1861. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Re-enlisted and re-mustered Jan. 29, 1864. Mustered out July
24, 1865, Louisville, Ky.
Swanson, William M. Age 31. Residence Lyons, nativity Illinois. Appointed Second Lieutenant
Nov. 16, 1861. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Promoted First Lieutenant Feb. 21, 1862; Captain of
company H Sept. 14, 1864, Kenesaw mountain, Ga. Mustered out July 24, 1865, Louisville Ky.
COMPANY "G"
Sanders, Levi H. Age 21. Residence Bloomfield, nativity Ohio. Enlisted March 22, 1861.
Mustered Nov. 25, 1861. re-enlisted and re-mustered Dec. 31, 1863. Wounded in knee joint July
3, 1864, Kenesaw Mountain, Ga. died of wounds July 4, 1864, Fourth division Hospital. Buried
in National Cemetery, Marietta, Ga. Section F, grave 611.
COMPANY "H"
Swanson, William M. Age 21. Residence Lyons, nativity Illinois. Appointed Captain Sept. 14,
1862, from First Lieutenant of company A. Resigned March 39, 1863. See company A.
COMPANY "A"
Terrill, Edward. Age 19. Residence Lyons, nativity Illinois. Enlisted Sept. 30, 1861.
Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. discharged for disability Dec. 26, 1862, Holly Springs, Miss.
Tobey, Sheldon. Age 24. Residence Lyons, nativity Maine. Enlisted Oct. 7, 1861, as sixth
Corporal. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Reduced to ranks at his own request March 1, 1862.
discharged for disability March 14, 1864, Davenport, Iowa.
Trump, Dorsey w. Age 18. Residence Lyons, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Feb, 10, 1862. Mustered
March 15m 1862. discharged Oct. 9, 1862, St. Louis, Mo.
Trump, John. Age 21. Residence Lyons, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Sept. 19, 1861. Mustered Nov.
16, 1861. Killed in battle Oct. 3, 1862, Corinth, Miss.
Watson, William. Age 22. Residence Lyons, nativity Scotland. Enlisted Oct. 5, 1861.
Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Wounded April 6, 1862, Shiloh, Tenn. wounded in right thigh July 4,
1864. Mustered out June 2, 1865, Washington, D. C.
Wheelock, Charles M. Age 19. Residence Lyons, nativity Vermont. Enlisted Sept, 17, 1861, as
Seventh Corporal. Mustered Nov. 16, 1861. Reduced to ranks at his own request March 1, 1862.
Discharged for disability Sept. 6, 1862, St. Louis, Mo.
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